One Game at a Time: Difficult Second Season End Game(ish)
Big Fat Frankie’s Sky Blue Army (H) April 21st
Here we go then. At long last, the long-awaited Joe Edwards Derby finally takes place.
Well, almost. The much-vaunted return of the skipper and inspiration to the Argyle ranks answered the question as to whether he could complete the full ninety with a decisive yes and not quite.
With other results going pretty much as desired for the Green Army, with Derby being kept within reach and Hull turning in their insipid away form persona at Swansalona, who now look like finishing in the top half, such is the congestion in the area of the table marked mid table mediocrity.
Cardiff managed to maintain the impact, helping Sheffield Red Stripe get back on track to at least get some form ready for the play-offs. A tetchy Omar Riza, having a go at fans before the game and reporters afterwards was finally called to the Bond Villains lair and fed to the sharks, giving Aaron Ramsey a challenging managerial debut, but given how much they pay him and how little he plays it probably looks like the best way to get some value from him.
Argyle knew they needed a result, and to be fair they set up for one, played the game plan almost to perfection and as added on time approached, looked like they would gain a point that, potentially could make all the difference.
Boro by contrast looked laboured. Possession a plenty but little in the way of clear chances. Argyle sat in and looked to hit on the break.
All three goals had a whiff of controversy and fortune about them.
Boro opened up with an incisive attack, but Conway looked marginally offside, although his flick over Conor, an inch from going in but an inch from going wide, decided instead to land in front of the following up Finn Azaz. Having seen what he can do from twenty yards, twenty inches was never going to be an issue.
Argyle were level withing five minutes. A hospital pass between Boro defenders left Bundu to crunch in, and leaving the defender in a heap, advanced on Travers to curl a beauty into the far corner. The Moose on the loose is a sight to behold, and one half expects a surge in Swedish interest as their entire nation is currently fixated on watching the Moose migration in their own country.
With Gyabi looking for a potential Riverside move next season, and, given his two best games for Argyle have both been at that stadium it could still happen, Argyle created the best chances for the remainder of the game, although Hotdog missed a couple that recent form suggested he would bury. Boro seemingly were reduced to increasingly desperate long-range shots and flimsy penalty appeals, including a plaintive Morgs going down in three movements with a degree of difficulty Tom Daley would have been proud off.
In the end though it was heartbreak, not because of the result but because of the manner of its delivery. Alan Shearer always insists that if a striker feels a touch he is entitled to go down. On that basis we should be seeing a hundred penalties a game. In the Sky highlights package a Boro player fully shoulder charges Gyabi between the shoulderblades and flattens him just outside the Argyle penalty area. The referee waves play on. If that wasn’t a foul, then how the slightest of touches on Conway, who then hurls himself upwards before hitting the ground, could be defies belief.
I am not a believer in referee conspiracy theories, of clubs being picked on because of their size. Yes, we have a list of injustices, but I guarantee that every clubs fans have a similar list. Of the Sky Sports panel, only ex-Boro player Kris Boyd thought it was a penalty. The other ex-pros were incredulous it had been given.
The highly partisan Boro sites thought it was, on balance a fortuitous award. Coventry fans thought it was one of the worst decisions they had ever seen. Conway scored, Joe was red carded, denying him again the chance to go up against his namesake in their Derby and a precious point was stolen by poor, poor decision.
But it is Easter. A time or resurrection, hope, and too much chocolate, thankfully not in the way of the seventies Coventry away kit was too much chocolate. So, after the traditional three day break we await a home game with a sell-out crowd against a side riding high in the play-off race, and as has been the case for a while, this is a home game Argyle simply must win.
The omens are, well if not overwhelming, not bad. Argyle have a decent home record against City, although last season’s two all home draw which came about following a last minute defensive calamity to rival Fridays referee in its ineptitude was a blip on the horizon.
It was a similar stage of the 08/9 season under Paul Sturrock that saw Argyle thrash City four nil at home to eventually finish 21st and safe. A game so long ago that Marcel Seip scored and was cheered.
If you are looking for a bundle of straws to clutch then, at home, Argyle seem to prefer playing the better sides. Of the top ten sides only Burnley have won at Home Park, and of the top thirteen only Swansea have added their names to those that escaped with three points.
Of course, the damage to Argyle has been done away from home and earlier in the season, including a shocking four nil drubbing in the early Lampard days at the CBS arena. Even those horrible drubbings such as Norwich, Cardiff and Bristol City have been turned into games where we avoided defeat and either won or could and perhaps should have done.
City also arrive with a lengthening injury list, having lost players such as leading scorer Haji Wright, midfielder Torp, goalkeeper Dovin and Mason-Clark all missing out. Their form player of the moment is Jack Rudoni, who scored against the Baggies on Friday.
Argyle may well welcome back Nikola Katic to the heart of the defence to add some steel.
So we enter the last chance saloon, and in keeping with my wont to understand these idioms, I find this refers to the old wild west where certain territories, notably around Native American settlements were kept alcohol free and so literally, in much the same way as petrol stations today advise you of your last chance to fill up for a number of miles, your last chance to indulge in alcohol would be in one of these last chance saloons.
I have no doubt that many in the crowd today will be making sure they find a similar establishment before embarking on the match. It is to the credit of the squad and current coaching team that we have kept in the race to stay up as long as we have. We will fight till the bitter end, and as that has a nautical origin we might as well cover that as well.
Olden vessels would secure themselves with the anchor and the rope on which it was lowered was attached to a fixing on the ship known as a “bitt”. The rope itself was marked off with flags to allow the crewmen lowering the anchor to know how much further they had to lower before running out. The final flag was therefore known as the “bitter end”. Well, Argyle fans know all about those.
Another home win against top half opponents would mean we still have a slim chance of survival, which ironically is better than a fat chance. It is no longer in our own hands completely but while we have any possibility our home crowd and form will be absolutely critical to our chances.
Stiffen the sinews.
Bring the noise.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Fat Frankie’s Sky Blue Army (H) April 21st
Here we go then. At long last, the long-awaited Joe Edwards Derby finally takes place.
Well, almost. The much-vaunted return of the skipper and inspiration to the Argyle ranks answered the question as to whether he could complete the full ninety with a decisive yes and not quite.
With other results going pretty much as desired for the Green Army, with Derby being kept within reach and Hull turning in their insipid away form persona at Swansalona, who now look like finishing in the top half, such is the congestion in the area of the table marked mid table mediocrity.
Cardiff managed to maintain the impact, helping Sheffield Red Stripe get back on track to at least get some form ready for the play-offs. A tetchy Omar Riza, having a go at fans before the game and reporters afterwards was finally called to the Bond Villains lair and fed to the sharks, giving Aaron Ramsey a challenging managerial debut, but given how much they pay him and how little he plays it probably looks like the best way to get some value from him.
Argyle knew they needed a result, and to be fair they set up for one, played the game plan almost to perfection and as added on time approached, looked like they would gain a point that, potentially could make all the difference.
Boro by contrast looked laboured. Possession a plenty but little in the way of clear chances. Argyle sat in and looked to hit on the break.
All three goals had a whiff of controversy and fortune about them.
Boro opened up with an incisive attack, but Conway looked marginally offside, although his flick over Conor, an inch from going in but an inch from going wide, decided instead to land in front of the following up Finn Azaz. Having seen what he can do from twenty yards, twenty inches was never going to be an issue.
Argyle were level withing five minutes. A hospital pass between Boro defenders left Bundu to crunch in, and leaving the defender in a heap, advanced on Travers to curl a beauty into the far corner. The Moose on the loose is a sight to behold, and one half expects a surge in Swedish interest as their entire nation is currently fixated on watching the Moose migration in their own country.
With Gyabi looking for a potential Riverside move next season, and, given his two best games for Argyle have both been at that stadium it could still happen, Argyle created the best chances for the remainder of the game, although Hotdog missed a couple that recent form suggested he would bury. Boro seemingly were reduced to increasingly desperate long-range shots and flimsy penalty appeals, including a plaintive Morgs going down in three movements with a degree of difficulty Tom Daley would have been proud off.
In the end though it was heartbreak, not because of the result but because of the manner of its delivery. Alan Shearer always insists that if a striker feels a touch he is entitled to go down. On that basis we should be seeing a hundred penalties a game. In the Sky highlights package a Boro player fully shoulder charges Gyabi between the shoulderblades and flattens him just outside the Argyle penalty area. The referee waves play on. If that wasn’t a foul, then how the slightest of touches on Conway, who then hurls himself upwards before hitting the ground, could be defies belief.
I am not a believer in referee conspiracy theories, of clubs being picked on because of their size. Yes, we have a list of injustices, but I guarantee that every clubs fans have a similar list. Of the Sky Sports panel, only ex-Boro player Kris Boyd thought it was a penalty. The other ex-pros were incredulous it had been given.
The highly partisan Boro sites thought it was, on balance a fortuitous award. Coventry fans thought it was one of the worst decisions they had ever seen. Conway scored, Joe was red carded, denying him again the chance to go up against his namesake in their Derby and a precious point was stolen by poor, poor decision.
But it is Easter. A time or resurrection, hope, and too much chocolate, thankfully not in the way of the seventies Coventry away kit was too much chocolate. So, after the traditional three day break we await a home game with a sell-out crowd against a side riding high in the play-off race, and as has been the case for a while, this is a home game Argyle simply must win.
The omens are, well if not overwhelming, not bad. Argyle have a decent home record against City, although last season’s two all home draw which came about following a last minute defensive calamity to rival Fridays referee in its ineptitude was a blip on the horizon.
It was a similar stage of the 08/9 season under Paul Sturrock that saw Argyle thrash City four nil at home to eventually finish 21st and safe. A game so long ago that Marcel Seip scored and was cheered.
If you are looking for a bundle of straws to clutch then, at home, Argyle seem to prefer playing the better sides. Of the top ten sides only Burnley have won at Home Park, and of the top thirteen only Swansea have added their names to those that escaped with three points.
Of course, the damage to Argyle has been done away from home and earlier in the season, including a shocking four nil drubbing in the early Lampard days at the CBS arena. Even those horrible drubbings such as Norwich, Cardiff and Bristol City have been turned into games where we avoided defeat and either won or could and perhaps should have done.
City also arrive with a lengthening injury list, having lost players such as leading scorer Haji Wright, midfielder Torp, goalkeeper Dovin and Mason-Clark all missing out. Their form player of the moment is Jack Rudoni, who scored against the Baggies on Friday.
Argyle may well welcome back Nikola Katic to the heart of the defence to add some steel.
So we enter the last chance saloon, and in keeping with my wont to understand these idioms, I find this refers to the old wild west where certain territories, notably around Native American settlements were kept alcohol free and so literally, in much the same way as petrol stations today advise you of your last chance to fill up for a number of miles, your last chance to indulge in alcohol would be in one of these last chance saloons.
I have no doubt that many in the crowd today will be making sure they find a similar establishment before embarking on the match. It is to the credit of the squad and current coaching team that we have kept in the race to stay up as long as we have. We will fight till the bitter end, and as that has a nautical origin we might as well cover that as well.
Olden vessels would secure themselves with the anchor and the rope on which it was lowered was attached to a fixing on the ship known as a “bitt”. The rope itself was marked off with flags to allow the crewmen lowering the anchor to know how much further they had to lower before running out. The final flag was therefore known as the “bitter end”. Well, Argyle fans know all about those.
Another home win against top half opponents would mean we still have a slim chance of survival, which ironically is better than a fat chance. It is no longer in our own hands completely but while we have any possibility our home crowd and form will be absolutely critical to our chances.
Stiffen the sinews.
Bring the noise.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited:
